Search

Behavior-specific praise is an easy-to-implement, teacher-delivered strategy that supports academic engagement while preventing and reducing disruptive behavior. By letting students know what they did, specifically, to meet academic, behavioral, and/or social expectations, students who find teacher attention reinforcing are more likely to engage in the same behavior more often in the future. While teacher-delivered behavior-specific praise was classified as a potentially evidence-based practice using Council for Exceptional Children standards, less is known about the effects of students who deliver behavior-specific praise to their peers. This systematic literature review and meta-analysis explored the literature base and found 36 articles meeting inclusion criteria. Fifteen articles included positive peer reporting as the independent variable, 20 included tootling as the intervention, two compared those interventions, and three used an “other” form of peer praise (i.e., peer praise notes, peer monitor tokens). Nine tootling articles met all eight quality indicators by absolute coding, and 32 out of all 36 studies met an 80% weighted quality indicator coding criterion for being methodologically sound. From these, we classified positive peer reporting in the mixed evidence category and tootling in the evidence-based practice category. We discuss benefits of various components in each type of peer praise intervention, limitations of the literature review, and make recommendations for future researchers.

This study evaluates the effects of personal income tax and consumption tax on the spending system of consumers in Nigeria. The autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model has been employed for the co-integration test. The research additionally employs the Error Correction Model (ECM) to assess the pace at which any divergence from the long run equilibrium can return to normal in the current period. The findings show that Value added tax has an insignificant impact on purchasing power of consumers in both the short and long intervals. However, personal income tax and exchange rate exert substantial positive effect on consumer spending power in the long run but not in the short run. At the 1% level, the ECT coefficient is shown to be significant and unfavourable. This demonstrates a pretty slow convergence rate, with the model pushing itself towards equilibrium by 37% each year. The consequence is that any disequilibrium caused by shocks from the previous year requires 37% adjustment speed to return to long-run equilibrium in the current year. There have been several studies on how consumption tax affects households’ welfare without considering the effects of income tax and ever fluctuating exchange rate alongside these whole scenarios. This study puts all of these issues into consideration and contributes meaningfully to the existing literature that personal income tax is an integral part of the factors that affect households’ spending capacity. The study recommends that proper tax policy to enhance consumers’ spending capacity.

Abstract Mechanical testing by sporting governing bodies ensures artificial turf surfaces conform with performance standards. Rotational traction is measured using two equivalent devices: a rotational traction tester (RTT) and a lightweight rotational traction tester (LRTT). The devices differ in target rotational velocity; 72 deg/s for the RTT and 30 deg/s for the LRTT. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of rotational velocity on peak torque during rotational traction testing. An automated rotational traction tester examined nine rotational velocities between 10 and 210 deg/s, and ten artificial turf surface systems with a range of performance infill materials, infill depths and carpet specifications. Rotations at 10 deg/s produced the lowest peak torques on nine of the ten surfaces. Infill materials with intrinsic viscoelastic properties produced significantly higher peak torques at higher rotational velocities, whereas less elastic infill materials saw no significant increase in peak torque. A mean difference in peak torque of 2.6 Nm was found between the target velocities of the RTT and LRTT. The results support the synchronisation of target velocities for the RTT and LRTT. During standards testing, trials completed below a particular velocity should be repeated to negate velocity effects on peak torque.

Abstract Water electrolysis is considered one of the major sources of green hydrogen as the fuel of the future. However, due to limited freshwater resources, more interest has been geared toward seawater electrolysis for hydrogen production. The development of effective and selective electrocatalysts from earth-abundant elements for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) as the bottleneck for seawater electrolysis is highly desirable. This work introduces novel Pd-doped Co nanoparticles encapsulated in graphite carbon shell electrode (Pd-doped CoNPs@C shell) as a highly active OER electrocatalyst towards alkaline seawater oxidation, which outperforms the state-of-the-art catalyst, RuO2. Significantly, Pd-doped CoNPs@C shell electrode exhibiting low OER overpotential of ≈213, ≈372, and ≈ 429 mV at 10, 50, and 100 mA/cm2, respectively together with a small Tafel slope of ≈ 120 mV/dec than pure Co@C and Pd@C electrode in alkaline seawater media. The high catalytic activity at the aforementioned current density reveals decent selectivity, thus obviating the evolution of chloride reaction (CER), i.e., ∼490 mV, as competitive to the OER. Results indicated that Pd-doped Co nanoparticles encapsulated in graphite carbon shell (Pd-doped CoNPs@C electrode) could be a very promising candidate for seawater electrolysis.

Abstract Emerging evidence highlights the potential prognostic relevance of circulating lipids in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), with a proposed 3-lipid signature. This study aims to analyze the lipidomic profiles of individuals with mCRPC to identify lipid species that could serve as predictive indicators of prognosis and therapeutic response. Plasma samples were collected from mCRPC patients initiating first-line treatment (1 L) (n = 29) and those previously treated with at least two lines of therapy (> 2 L) (n = 19), including an androgen-receptor signaling inhibitor and a taxane. Employing an untargeted lipidomic approach, lipids were extracted from the plasma samples and subjected to analysis. A comprehensive identification and quantification of 789 plasma lipids was achieved. Notably, 75 species displayed significant dysregulation in > 2 L patients in comparison to the 1 L group. Among these, 63 species exhibited elevated levels, while 12 were reduced. Patients included in > 2 L cohort showed elevated levels of acylcarnitines (CAR), diacylglycerols (DG), phosphatidylethanolamines (PE), triacylglycerols (TG), and ceramides (Cer). Notably, some upregulated lipids, including CAR 14:0, CAR 24:1, Cer d18:1/16:0, Cer d18:1/18:0 (C18 Cer), Cer d18:2/18:0, Cer d18:1/24:1, and Cer d20:1/24:1, showed significant associations with overall survival (OS) in univariate models. Specifically, increased levels of C18 Cer remained significantly associated with poorer OS in the multivariate model, even after adjusting for treatment line and PSA levels (Hazard Ratio: 3.59 [95% Confidence Interval 1.51–8.52], p = 0.004). Employing quantitative mass spectrometry, our findings underscore the independent prognostic significance of C18 Cer in individuals with mCRPC. This discovery opens avenues for further studies within this field.

The literature identifies that education policies in Brazil are the backbone of their success in reducing inequality as measured by the GINI index. Since 1994, Brazil is the only BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) nation to achieve this. This article presents a comparative study of South Africa and Brazil, and the policies applied towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. Using the analytical framework of the SDG, the strategies of South Africa, and Brazil regarding education are considered in order to identify patterns and themes that can potentially explain the divergence of inequality trends of the two nations. The overarching finding is that subtle differences in education policies perpetuate inequality in South Africa, whereas analogous policies contribute to equality in Brazil. The main contribution of this study is that it locates faults in otherwise well-meaning education policies in South Africa.

Background: Leukemias are a common cancer in adults and children. While existing treatments are effective, they are associated with severe side-effects compounded by the emergence of drug resistance. This necessitates the need to develop new drugs and phytopharmaceuticals offer a largely untapped source. Oleoresins produced by plants in the genus Boswellia have been used for centuries in traditional medicine and recent work suggests they may exhibit anti-cancer activity. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear and most existing research focusses on Boswellia serrata; just one of many species in the Boswellia genus. To address these limitations, we elucidated the anti-cancer potential and associated mechanisms of action of Boswellia carterii.Methods: A methanolic solvent extraction method was optimised. The effect of methanolic extracts of B. carterii on leukaemia (K562, MOLT-4 and CCRF-CEM) and normal (PBMC) cell line viability was assessed using MTT assay and flow cytometry. Cell morphology, apoptosis (Annexin-V/propidium iodide), mitochondrial membrane potential (Rhodamine-123) and the cell cycle (propidium iodide) were evaluated using flow cytometry. Regulatory protein expression was quantified using Western Blot.Results: Methanolic extracts of B. carterii oleoresin reduced the viability of K562, MOLT-4 and CCRF-CEM cell lines with selectivity indexes of between 1.75 and 2.68. Extracts increased the proportion of cells in late apoptosis by 285.4% ± 51.6%. Mitochondrial membrane potential was decreased by 41% ± 2% and the expression of cleaved caspase-3, -7, and -9 was increased by 5.7, 3.3, and 1.5-fold respectively. Extracts increased the proportion of cells in subG1 and G1 phase by 867.8% ± 122.9% and 14.0 ± 5.5 and decreased those in S phase and G2/M by 63.4% ± 2.0% and 57.6% ± 5.3%. Expression of CDK2, CDK6, cyclin D1, and cyclin D3 were decreased by 2.8, 4.9, 3.9, and 2.5-fold.Conclusion: We are the first to report that methanolic extracts of B. carterii are selectively cytotoxic against three leukemia cell lines. Cytotoxic mechanisms likely include activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway and cell cycle arrest through downregulation of CDK2, CDK6, cyclin D1, and cyclin D3. Our findings suggest that B. carterii may be an important source of novel chemotherapeutic drugs and justifies further investigation.

Advanced membranes fabricated from multilayer/laminated graphene oxide (GO) are promising in water treatment applications as they provide very high flux and excellent rejection of various water pollutants. However, these membranes have limited viability, and suffer from instabilities and swelling due to the hydrophilic nature of GO. In this work, the permeability and rejection performance of laminated GO membranes were improved via functionalization with ethylenediamine (EDA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI). The membranes are fabricated via the pressure-assembly stacking technique, and their structure is well characterized. The performance, rejection, and stability of the fabricated functionalized GO membranes were evaluated. Pillaring the GO layers using diamine and polyamine resulted in exceptionally high water permeability of 113 L/m2h (LMH) compared to only 28 LMH for the pristine GO membrane while simultaneously satisfying high rejection of multivalent salts of 79.4, 35.4, and 19.6 % for Na2SO4, MgCl2, and NaCl, respectively. The results obtained indicate that proper functionalization of GO provides a roadmap for the potential commercialization of such advanced membranes in water treatment applications.

Abstract Many landscapes in sub‐Saharan Africa have undergone rapid changes, often with negative social and ecological impacts. Avoiding (or reversing) such negative impacts requires proactive landscape planning. Scenario planning, a participatory approach that generates narratives of plausible landscape change trajectories in the future, has been widely used to support landscape planning and decisions. However, not least because of challenges arising from group dynamics, few examples exist where backcasting—the collective envisioning of a desirable future landscape and the identification of pathways to reach that future—has been applied in landscape planning. In this study, building on past scenario planning work in southwestern Ethiopia, we begin to fill this empirical and methodological gap. Specifically, we used the Q‐methodology to elucidate stakeholders' divergent landscape aspirations in a case study in southwestern Ethiopia. Our results show that many stakeholders share a similar vision of building a future landscape that supports smallholder‐based development. However, details in the envisaged pathways differ between stakeholders. Three distinct pathways were prioritized by different stakeholders: (1) Agroecological production, (2) Coffee investment and (3) Intensive food crop production. Accounting for these divergent aspirations is important when taking further steps in landscape planning. We show how using the Q‐methodology as a subjective assessment of stakeholders' landscape priorities can facilitate the integration of backcasting within the normative process of landscape planning. Our approach thus helps navigate conflicting stakeholders' preferences and based on that, carefully plan collective action towards a shared landscape vision. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Inconsistent yield of subtropical table grape across seasons is often associated with low carbohydrate reserves during flowering. In an attempt to increase TNC and thus yield, sucrose was injected into treated trunks during periods of high carbohydrate demand (i.e., between budburst and flowering). Total non-structural carbohydrate (TNC) concentration dynamics were assessed in the grapevine root and trunk tissues of both control and treated vines. In the control (untreated) vines, the TNC concentration in root and trunk tissues was 13.5% and 7.5% w/dw at leaf fall and 7.2% and 3.7% w/dw at flowering, respectively. This decrease in carbohydrate reserve was estimated at ~500 g/vine and is associated with the re-establishment of the plant canopy in early spring. Carbohydrate reserves remained stable or rose slightly between flowering and harvest and recovered between crop harvest and leaf fall. In treated vines, a constantly pressurised low-pressure in situ trunk injection system (69 kPa) with 5% w/v sucrose solution over 45 days from budburst (to flowering), in each of the two seasons, delivered a widely variable amount of sucrose into each vine with variation ascribed to the amount of internal dead wood in the trunk. In the best circumstances, an average of 150 g sucrose/vine/season was injected, and sucrose-injected vines had higher trunk TNC reserve (4.1% compared to 3.6% w/dw in the control) at flowering. A δ13C (‰) analysis confirmed the presence of injected sucrose in the shoot at flowering. However, the correlation between the amount of loaded sucrose and δ13C in young shoot tissue was poor, indicative of variable partitioning patterns. Inflorescence number per vine and berry yield were markedly higher in sucrose-injected vines, but differences were not significant given the high variation between vines. The addition of KCl to the sucrose solution and use of the healthy vines are recommended to increase sucrose loading using the injection method to address inconsistent yielding of subtropical table grape.

Purpose – There is a pressing need to increase investments in sustainable infrastructure to promote low carbon economic growth and ensure environmental sustainability. Consequently, this study examines the socio-political factors underlying the adoption of green bond financing of infrastructure projects. Design/methodology/approach – Primary data was gathered from experts with advanced experience in, or knowledge of green bonds in the Kumasi Metropolis. To identify respondents with pertinent knowledge that is relevant to the study, purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used. One-sample t-test and relative importance index were used in this study's statistical analysis. Findings – ‘Training and experience with sustainable finance’ was seen as the most important social factor underlying the adoption of green bond financing of infrastructure projects by the respondents and ‘Governmental tax-based incentives’ was rated as the leading political factor. Originality/value – This pioneering research attempts to ascertain the socio-political factors affecting the adoption of green bond financing of infrastructure projects. Emergent results of analysis and concomitant discussions add knowledge to fill a void in literature on the social and political factors affecting the adoption of green bond financing of infrastructure projects in developing countries.

Blueberry production is expanding rapidly in the United States and globally. In 2016, bacterial wilt was discovered in Florida blueberry production. Because of the international movement of plants, this disease poses a significant risk to production. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the resistance of blueberry species and cultivars to the three genetically distinct populations of Ralstonia identified in Florida blueberry production. Nineteen cultivars/species of Vaccinium were used in this study. Plants were selected from wild, northern, southern, midbush, lowbush, and rabbiteye varieties. Plants were inoculated with three genetically distinct strains of the pathogen, and experiments were replicated three times. Varying levels of quantitative (multigenic) bacterial wilt resistance were observed among varieties tested, with rabbiteye cultivars being the most resistant. These results are similar to bacterial wilt resistance observed in other agronomic crops. We also observed a unique specific qualitative (vertical) resistance in the rabbiteye cultivar ´Ochlockonee’. The pathogen was unable to colonize plant tissue and cause disease on this cultivar. This is the first report of qualitative resistance to Ralstonia solanacearum in blueberry. Both the multigenic and vertical resistance can be incorporated into blueberry breeding programs to mitigate potential losses to bacterial wilt.

The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) is a rich region in agrobiodiversity. As elsewhere in the world, agrobiodiversity is declining in this region, and this is impacting the functioning of ecosystems and has profound implications for agricultural sustainability and food security. Today, the challenge faced by the global community is how to slow or reverse the present trend of loss of agrobiodiversity to safeguard future food supplies. Taking examples from the HKH, this paper explores the link between agrobiodiversity and food security, identifies the key issues and challenges to maintaining agrobiodiversity, and explores potentials and opportunities for improving agrobiodiversity that are conducive to maintaining and increasing food security, ecosystem services, and agricultural sustainability, and thus building resilience. The paper concludes that urgent action and an integrated landscape approach are required, bringing together multiple stakeholders, and integrates agrobiodiversity in national policies and programmes. Appropriate economic measures should be developed to encourage local people to use the Himalayan biodiversity sustainably as a basis to achieve food security and agricultural sustainability.

In recent years, a wide range of hyperspectral imaging systems using coded apertures have been proposed. Many implement compressive sensing to achieve faster acquisition of a hyperspectral data cube, but it is also potentially beneficial to use coded aperture imaging in sensors that capture full-rank (non-compressive) measurements. In this paper we analyse the signal-to-noise ratio for such a sensor, which uses a Hadamard code pattern of slits instead of the single slit of a typical pushbroom imaging spectrometer. We show that the coded slit sensor may have performance advantages in situations where the dominant noise sources do not depend on the signal level; but that where Shot noise dominates a conventional single-slit sensor would be more effective. These results may also have implications for the utility of compressive sensing systems.

Objectives The aim is to compare adolescent (10–24.99 years) trauma patterns and interventions to adult (≥25) and paediatric cases (

Abstract The availability of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for the management of advanced hepatocellular cancer (HCC) has changed the treatment paradigm. There are emerging questions regarding the efficacy of subsequent anticancer therapies. The primary aim of this retrospective, multicenter study was to examine the types of anticancer treatment received after ICIs and to assess the impact on post‐ICI survival. We established an international consortium of 11 tertiary‐care referral centers located in the USA (n = 249), Europe (n = 74), and Asia (n = 97), and described patterns of care following ICI therapy. The impact of subsequent therapy on overall survival (OS) was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and presented with a 95% confidence interval (CI). A total of 420 patients were treated with ICIs for advanced HCC after one line of systemic therapy (n = 371, 88.8%): 31 (8.8%) had died, 152 (36.2%) received best supportive care (BSC) following ICIs, and 163 patients (38.8%) received subsequent anticancer therapy. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs, n = 132, 80.9%), in particular sorafenib (n = 49, 30.0%), were the most common post‐ICI therapy followed by external beam radiotherapy (n = 28, 17.2%), further immunotherapy (n = 21, 12.9%), locoregional therapy (n = 23, 14.1%), chemotherapy (n = 9, 5.5%), and surgery (n = 6, 3.6%). Receipt of post‐ICI therapy was associated with longer median OS compared with those who had received BSC (12.1 vs. 3.3 months; hazard ratio [HR]: 0.4 (95% CI: 2.7–5.0). No difference in OS was noted in those patients who received TKI before ICIs compared with those who received ICIs followed by TKI. Conclusion: Post‐ICI therapy is associated with OS in excess of 12 months, suggesting a role for therapeutic sequencing. OS from TKI therapy was similar to that reported in registration studies, suggesting preserved efficacy following ICIs.

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) constitute a rapidly expanding category of biopharmaceuticals that are reshaping the landscape of targeted chemotherapy. The meticulous process of selecting therapeutic targets, aided by specific monoclonal antibodies’ high specificity for binding to designated antigenic epitopes, is pivotal in ADC research and development. Despite ADCs’ intrinsic ability to differentiate between healthy and cancerous cells, developmental challenges persist. In this study, we present a rationalized pipeline encompassing the initial phases of the ADC development, including target identification and validation. Leveraging an in-house, computationally constructed ADC target database, termed ADC Target Vault, we identified a set of novel ovarian cancer targets. We effectively demonstrate the efficacy of Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) technology and in vitro models as predictive tools, expediting the selection and validation of targets as ADC candidates for ovarian cancer therapy. Our analysis reveals three novel robust antibody/target pairs with strong binding and favourable antibody internalization rates in both wild-type and cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cell lines. This approach enhances ADC development and offers a comprehensive method for assessing target/antibody combinations and pre-payload conjugation biological activity. Additionally, the strategy establishes a robust platform for high-throughput screening of potential ovarian cancer ADC targets, an approach that is equally applicable to other cancer types.

The Ocean Cleanup introduces a Digital Twin (DT) describing the cleanup systems made of netting to extract marine litter from our oceans. It consists of two wings forming a “U-shape” and a retention zone. During operation, the system is towed and drag-driven with a span-to-length ratio of 0.6 ≤SR*≤ 0.8. The twine Reynolds number is Ret*∈[800:1600], making it experience various local drag coefficients. The DT was built with OrcaFlex (OF) aiming at: (i) avoiding over- or under-designing the system; (ii) supporting the scale-up of the system; and (iii) estimating the costs and/or the impact of our offshore operations. Therefore, we present an attempt to build an accurate DT using data from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP). We developed a three-cycle validation: (i) initial guess applying Naumov’s semi-empirical drag coefficient to define the OF drag coefficients without the influence of the angles of attack θ of the wings; (ii) adjustment of the OF drag coefficients using AquaSim (AS) with its twine-by-twine drag correlation for various θ; (iii) re-adjustment of the OF drag coefficients from two-dimensional CFD simulations using Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) for a twine-by-twine establishment of a drag correlation on a 1 m plane net, highlighting the shielding effects for θ<24°. Consequently, an initial underestimation of −3% in the combined towline tension, for a nominal span (SR*=0.6), was corrected to a slight overestimation of +7% compared to the GPGP data. For a wide span (SR*=0.8), the deviation remained between +1% and +15% throughout the validation process. For a narrow span (SR*∼ 0.02), mostly exhibiting low θ, the first cycle showed a +276% deviation, whereas at the end of the third cycle, it showed a +43% deviation.

Abstract Family history of cancer (FHC) is a hallmark of cancer risk and an independent predictor of outcome, albeit with uncertain biologic foundations. We previously showed that FHC-high patients experienced prolonged overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) following PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors. To validate our findings in patients with NSCLC, we evaluated two multicenter cohorts of patients with metastatic NSCLC receiving either first-line pembrolizumab or chemotherapy. From each cohort, 607 patients were randomly case–control matched accounting for FHC, age, performance status, and disease burden. Compared to FHC-low/negative, FHC-high patients experienced longer OS (HR 0.67 [95% CI 0.46–0.95], p = 0.0281), PFS (HR 0.65 [95% CI 0.48–0.89]; p = 0.0074) and higher disease control rates (DCR, 86.4% vs 67.5%, p = 0.0096), within the pembrolizumab cohort. No significant associations were found between FHC and OS/PFS/DCR within the chemotherapy cohort. We explored the association between FHC and somatic DNA damage response (DDR) gene alterations as underlying mechanism to our findings in a parallel cohort of 118 NSCLC, 16.9% of whom were FHC-high. The prevalence of ≥ 1 somatic DDR gene mutation was 20% and 24.5% (p = 0.6684) in FHC-high vs. FHC-low/negative, with no differences in tumor mutational burden (6.0 vs. 7.6 Mut/Mb, p = 0.6018) and tumor cell PD-L1 expression. FHC-high status identifies NSCLC patients with improved outcomes from pembrolizumab but not chemotherapy, independent of somatic DDR gene status. Prospective studies evaluating FHC alongside germline genetic testing are warranted.

Equine asthma, previously known as Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO) or Inflammatory Airway Disease (IAD), is an often-debilitating condition that may severely affect both performance and quality of life. Research is hindered by the low sample numbers of subjects recruited to studies, a consequence in part of the invasive nature of the sampling methods of bronchial brushing and biopsy. We present an alternative method of sampling equine airway epithelial cells, the 'nasal brush method' (NBM). Obtained by light brushing of the ventral meatus whilst the horse is under standing sedation, these cells express the same markers of differentiation as their deeper counterparts. Grown as 3-D spheroids or as air-liquid interface cultures, nasal epithelial cells are responsive to the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-13. This may be attenuated by modulation of the Notch signalling pathway using the gamma-secretase inhibitor Semagecestat; a previously unreported finding that cements the link between equine and human asthma research and strengthens the case for a One Health approach in researching asthma pathophysiology and therapeutic intervention.

This Watching Brief provides analysis of a recent outbreak of anthrax amongst goats in Ukraine. Occurring outside the usual expected geography, this cluster is an illustration of the challenges facing Ukrainian authorities in maintaining disease surveillance during wartime. The context of the ongoing Russian invasion of the country should alert local authorities and international donors to the importance of discerning between bacteriological outbreaks of natural and unnatural cause, especially given the potential for battlefield use of unconventional weapons as the conflict escalates.

The treatment landscape of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has broadened with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) setting a novel standard of care. With the increased number of therapies either in first or in further line, disentangling the possible treatment sequences has become much more complex. Yet, all the second-line therapies have been evaluated after sorafenib. After ICIs, offering multikinase inhibitors is a widespread approach, either shifting forward sorafenib or lenvatinib, or choosing among regorafenib or cabozantinib, already approved in the refractory setting. Under specific circumstances, ICIs could be maintained beyond disease progression in patients with proven clinical benefit, as supported by some data emerging from phase III clinical trials with immunotherapy in HCC. Rechallenge with ICIs is an additional attractive alternative, although requiring careful and individual evaluation as efficacy and safety of such a strategy have not been yet clarified. Still, a considerable number of patients displays primary resistance to ICIs and might benefit from antiangiogenics either alone or in addition to ICIs instead. Hopefully, the ongoing clinical trials will enlighten regarding the most effective treatment pathways. The identification of predictive correlates of response to immunotherapy will help treatment allocation at each stage, thus representing an urgent matter to address in HCC research. With programmed death ligand 1 expression, tumor mutational burden, and microsatellite status being inadequate biomarkers in HCC, patient characteristics, drug safety profile, and regulatory approval remain key elements to acknowledge in routine practice. Despite the tissue remaining a preferred source, biomarkers discovery could take advantage of liquid biopsy to overcome the matter of tissue availability and track tumor changes. Lastly, tumor genetic phenotypes, tumor microenvironment features, gut microbiome, and markers of immune response and systemic inflammation are all potential emergent predictors of response to ICIs, pending validation in the clinical setting.

Abstract Many coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) survivors show symptoms months after acute illness. The aim of this work is to describe the clinical evolution of Covid-19, one year after discharge. We performed a prospective cohort study on 238 patients previously hospitalized for Covid-19 pneumonia in 2020 who already underwent clinical follow-up 4 months post-Covid-19. 200 consented to participate to a 12-months clinical assessment, including: pulmonary function tests with diffusing lung capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO); post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms evaluation by the Impact of Event Scale (IES); motor function evaluation (by Short Physical Performance Battery and 2 min walking test); chest Computed Tomography (CT). After 366 [363–369] days, 79 patients (39.5%) reported at least one symptom. A DLCO

RationaleFactors associated with long-term sequelae emerging after the acute phase of COVID-19 (so called “long COVID”) are unclear. Here, we aimed to identify risk factors for the development of COVID-19 sequelae in a prospective cohort of subjects hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2 infection and followed up one year after discharge.MethodsA total of 324 subjects underwent a comprehensive and multidisciplinary evaluation one year after hospital discharge for COVID-19. A subgroup of 247/324 who consented to donate a blood sample were tested for a panel of circulating cytokines.ResultsIn 122 patients (37.8%) there was evidence of at least one persisting physical symptom. After correcting for comorbidities and COVID-19 severity, the risk of developing long COVID was lower in the 109 subjects admitted to the hospital in the third wave of the pandemic than in the 215 admitted during the first wave, (OR 0.69, 95%CI 0.51-0.93, p=0.01). Univariable analysis revealed female sex, diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) value, body mass index, anxiety and depressive symptoms to be positively associated with COVID-19 sequelae at 1 year. Following logistic regression analysis, DLCO was the only independent predictor of residual symptoms (OR 0.98 CI 95% (0.96-0.99), p=0.01). In the subgroup of subjects with normal DLCO (> 80%), for whom residual lung damage was an unlikely explanation for long COVID, the presence of anxiety and depressive symptoms was significantly associated to persistent symptoms, together with increased levels of a set of pro-inflammatory cytokines: interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-12, IL-1β, IL-17. In logistic regression analysis, depressive symptoms (p=0.02, OR 4.57 [1.21-17.21]) and IL-12 levels (p=0.03, OR 1.06 [1.00-1.11]) 1-year after hospital discharge were independently associated with persistence of symptoms.ConclusionsLong COVID appears mainly related to respiratory sequelae, prevalently observed during the first pandemic wave. Among patients with little or no residual lung damage, a cytokine pattern consistent with systemic inflammation is in place.

Lignocellulosic materials represent one of the clean alternative energy sources that have carbon in their building blocks, which can be processed into liquid biofuel and useful chemicals. Elemental compositions of biomass such as carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) are key indicators for establishing calorific value, energy efficiency and carbon footprint during direct application as fuel and feedstock in thermochemical conversion. These characteristics usually require very expensive equipment, which may not always be readily available for examination of biomass feedstock. This study presents a new predictive non-linear model for ultanal characteristics of lignocellulosic biomass (C, H and O) derived from the proxanal attributes such as fixed carbon (FC), volatile matter (VM) following least square method. Four hundred and fifty (450) proximate analysis data from literature were used for model development and fifty (50) experimentally determined data points for model validation. The elemental composition {C=C[VMFC,(VM)2,(FC)], H=H[(VMFC),VM,FC] and O=O[(VM)0.75,(1/FC)0.33]} prediction models were developed and evaluated using indices such as average absolute percentage error (AAPE), average bias percentage error (ABPE) and coefficient of determination (R-squared). The results of analysis showed AAPE, ABEP and R-squared of 2.12%, 0.06% and 0.9993; 2.88%, 0.11% and 0.9989; 3.16%, -0.04% and 0.9982 for C, H and O model respectively. This suggests that the developed models could be used to predict the ultanal attributes of lignocellulosic biomass within 60

BackgroundOvarian cancer (OC) is amongst the most lethal of common cancers in women. Lacking in specific symptoms in the early stages, OC is predominantly diagnosed late when the disease has undergone metastatic spread and chemotherapy is relied on to prolong life. Platinum-based therapies are preferred and although many tumors respond initially, the emergence of platinum-resistance occurs in the majority of cases after which prognosis is very poor. Upregulation of DNA damage pathways is a common feature of platinum resistance in OC with cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs) serving as key regulators of this process and suggesting that CDK inhibitors (CDKis) could be effective tools in the treatment of platinum resistant and refractory OC.AimThe aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of CDKis in platinum resistant OC models and serve as a predictor of potential clinical utility.MethodsThe efficacy of CDKi, dinaciclib, was determined in wildtype and platinum resistant cell line pairs representing different OC subtypes. In addition, dinaciclib was evaluated in primary cells isolated from platinum-sensitive and platinum-refractory tumors to increase the clinical relevance of the study.Results and conclusionsDinaciclib proved highly efficacious in OC cell lines and primary cells, which were over a thousand-fold more sensitive to the CDKi than to cisplatin. Furthermore, cisplatin resistance in these cells did not influence sensitivity to dinaciclib and the two drugs combined additively in both platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant OC cells suggesting a potential role for pan-CDKis (CDKis targeting multiple CDKs), such as dinaciclib, in the treatment of advanced and platinum-resistant OC.

To evaluate the efficiency of the oil-reducing properties of kombucha cellulose, enzymolysis and microwave-assisted enzymolysis methods were developed. The water-holding capacity of the kombucha cellulose hydrolysates formed by these two methods was higher than for the intact kombucha cellulose, while the oil-holding capacity was lower. The hydrolysates of kombucha cellulose and the intact kombucha cellulose were used to make deep-fried donuts. During this process, kombucha cellulose hydrolysates were added instead of 2% flour, and from the results, the oil content of the donut decreased significantly from ~28 to 15%, and the reduction was not related to the processing of the donut. The hardness and brittleness of all samples showed no significant change, and these samples had similar internal micro-structures, confirming texture profile analysis. In vitro digestion results suggested that there would be no adverse health effects from substituting kombucha cellulose hydrolysates in the deep-fried donut formula.

The reaction of CF3COOAg, 3-bdppmapy (N,N-bis(diphenylphosphanylmethyl)-3-aminopyridine) and HTZ (1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol) in CH2Cl2/MeOH resulted in a dinuclear Ag/P/S complex [Ag2(TZ)2(3-bdppmapy)2]·xSol (1·xSol). Crystals of 1·xSol converted to 1·2MeOH in air at room temperature and further to 1 under vacuum upon heating. The solid-state, room-temperature photoluminescent emission of 1·xSol (510 nm) shifted to 494 nm (1·2MeOH) and 486 nm (1). Grinding solids of 1·2MeOH in air resulted in amorphous 1G characterized by solid-state emission at 468 nm, which converted to 1GR with 513 nm emission upon MeOH treatment. Grinding 1GR in air returned 1G, and this interconversion was reproducible over five cycles. The solid-state photoluminescence of 1G changed in response to vapors containing low–molecular weight alcohols but remained unchanged after exposure to other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or to water vapor. Test papers impregnated with 1G could detect methanol in vapors from aqueous solutions at concentrations above 50%. Complex 1G is, therefore, an example of a stimuli-responsive molecular sensor for the detection of alcohols.

This study provides a comprehensive review of the efforts utilized in the measurement of water quality parameters (WQPs) with a focus on total dissolved solids (TDS) and total suspended solids (TSS). The current method used in the measurement of TDS and TSS includes conventional field and gravimetric approaches. These methods are limited due to the associated cost and labor, and limited spatial coverages. Remote Sensing (RS) applications have, however, been used over the past few decades as an alternative to overcome these limitations. Although they also present underlying atmospheric interferences in images, radiometric and spectral resolution issues. Studies of these WQPs with RS, therefore, require the knowledge and utilization of the best mechanisms. The use of RS for retrieval of TDS, TSS, and their forms has been explored in many studies using images from airborne sensors onboard unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and satellite sensors such as those onboard the Landsat, Sentinel-2, Aqua, and Terra platforms. The images and their spectral properties serve as inputs for deep learning analysis and statistical, and machine learning models. Methods used to retrieve these WQP measurements are dependent on the optical properties of the inland water bodies. While TSS is an optically active parameter, TDS is optically inactive with a low signal–noise ratio. The detection of TDS in the visible, near-infrared, and infrared bands is due to some process that (usually) co-occurs with changes in the TDS that is affecting a WQP that is optically active. This study revealed significant improvements in incorporating RS and conventional approaches in estimating WQPs. The findings reveal that improved spatiotemporal resolution has the potential to effectively detect changes in the WQPs. For effective monitoring of TDS and TSS using RS, we recommend employing atmospheric correction mechanisms to reduce image atmospheric interference, exploration of the fusion of optical and microwave bands, high-resolution hyperspectral images, utilization of ML and deep learning models, calibration and validation using observed data measured from conventional methods. Further studies could focus on the development of new technology and sensors using UAVs and satellite images to produce real-time in situ monitoring of TDS and TSS. The findings presented in this review aid in consolidating understanding and advancement of TDS and TSS measurements in a single repository thereby offering stakeholders, researchers, decision-makers, and regulatory bodies a go-to information resource to enhance their monitoring efforts and mitigation of water quality impairments.

Background: Atezolizumab + bevacizumab represent the current standard of care for first-line treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, direct comparison with other combination treatments including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) + tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are lacking. Objectives: This network meta-analysis (NMA) aims to indirectly compare the efficacy and the safety of first-line systemic therapies for unresectable advanced HCC. Method: A literature search of MEDLINE, Embase, and SCOPUS databases was conducted up to October 31, 2022. Phase 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing TKIs, including sorafenib and lenvatinib, or ICIs reporting overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were included. Individual survival data were extracted from OS and PFS curves to calculate restricted mean survival time. A Bayesian NMA was performed to compare treatments in terms of efficacy (15- and 30-month OS, 6-month PFS) and safety, represented by grade ≥3 (severe) adverse events (SAEs). The incremental safety-effectiveness ratio as measure of net health benefit was calculated as the difference in SAE probability divided by survival difference between the 2 most effective treatments. Results: Nine RCTs enrolling 6,600 patients were included. Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab showed the highest probability (88%) of achieving the 30-month OS landmark. Lenvatinib showed a probability of 86% of achieving best PFS outcomes. ICI monotherapies ranked as most tolerable. Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab showed the best net health benefit for OS, compared to durvalumab plus tremelimumab. When evaluating the net health benefit for PFS, at a willingness-to-risk threshold of 10% of SAEs for life-month gained, atezolizumab plus bevacizumab was favoured in 78% of cases, while at threshold of 30% of SAEs for life-month gained, lenvatinib was favoured in 76% of cases. Conclusions: Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab is the best treatment in terms of net benefit and therefore it should be recommended as standard of care. Compared to atezolizumab plus bevacizumab, lenvatinib monotherapy had the best net benefit for PFS when physicians and patients are available to accept a higher risk of toxicity.

Introduction Meningioma is the most common primary intracranial tumour in adults. The majority are non-malignant, but a proportion behave more aggressively. Incidental/minimally symptomatic meningioma are often managed by serial imaging. Symptomatic meningioma, those that threaten neurovascular structures, or demonstrate radiological growth, are usually resected as first-line management strategy. For patients in poor clinical condition, or with inoperable, residual or recurrent disease, radiotherapy is often used as primary or adjuvant treatment. Effective pharmacotherapy treatments do not currently exist. There is heterogeneity in the outcomes measured and reported in meningioma clinical studies. Two ‘Core Outcome Sets’ (COS) will be developed: (COSMIC: Intervention) for use in meningioma clinical effectiveness trials and (COSMIC: Observation) for use in clinical studies of incidental/untreated meningioma.Methods and analysis Two systematic literature reviews and trial registry searches will identify outcomes measured and reported in published and ongoing (1) meningioma clinical effectiveness trials, and (2) clinical studies of incidental/untreated meningioma. Outcomes include those that are clinician reported, patient reported, caregiver reported and based on objective tests (eg, neurocognitive tests), as well as measures of progression and survival. Outcomes will be deduplicated and categorised to generate two long lists. The two long lists will be prioritised through two, two-round, international, modified eDelphi surveys including patients with meningioma, healthcare professionals, researchers and those in caring/supporting roles. The two final COS will be ratified through two 1-day online consensus meetings, with representation from all stakeholder groups.Ethics and dissemination Institutional review board (University of Liverpool) approval was obtained for the conduct of this study. Participant eConsent will be obtained prior to participation in the eDelphi surveys and consensus meetings. The two systematic literature reviews and two final COS will be published and freely available.Trial registration number COMET study ID 1508

We provide results from a district-wide survey of 253 certified educators to determine (a) the degree to which they reported implementing components of their school’s comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered (Ci3T) model of prevention in the current year and (b) the areas in which educators might benefit from continued professional learning. The purpose of this study was to develop a data informed professional learning plan to continue to support implementation at the conclusion of an Institute for Education Sciences (IES) -funded practitioner-researcher partnership grant. At least half of educators reported a high level of implementation for all Tier 1 features. Tier 2 and Tier 3 behavioral and social supports for students were reported as less fully implemented than academic interventions, yet still well-above the scale midpoint. For every component, elementary educators indicated statistically significantly higher levels of implementation relative to secondary educators. Over half of respondents indicated a high level of implementation of eight of 20 research-based practices and supports examined, with a statistically significant relation between ratings of currently implemented practices and the desire for support in four practices: small-group self-determination instruction, peer-mediated support strategies, check-in/check-out, and strategies for internalizing behaviors. In terms of preferred professional development avenues, educators rated in-district during-school workshops, courses for college credit (on-line), and brief “good practice” guides most favorably. We close with a discussion of implications, limitations, and future directions.

There are many integrated Multi-tiered Systems of Support (iMTSS), which we refer to as integrated-tiered systems. These systems hold benefits for students with disabilities, as such systems have the potential to facilitate inclusion and focus the collective expertise of educators committed to meeting students' multiple needs. The Comprehensive, Integrated Three-Tiered (Ci3T) prevention model was designed to meet student's academic, behavioral, and social and emotional well-being needs within one integrated system. Using lessons learned over decades of research, we present a step-by-step approach to building educators' capacity to implement integrated tiered systems through data-informed professional learning. We illustrate how school leaders can use this approach to onboard new faculty, plan coordinated ongoing professional learning for all educators, and facilitate the use of data to inform instruction--all of which are intertwined through the design, implementation, and evaluation of Ci3T models.

This study provides an overview of the techniques, shortcomings, and strengths of remote sensing (RS) applications in the effective retrieval and monitoring of water quality parameters (WQPs) such as chlorophyll-a concentration, turbidity, total suspended solids, colored dissolved organic matter, total dissolved solids among others. To be effectively retrieved by RS, these WQPs are categorized as optically active or inactive based on their influence on the optical characteristics measured by RS sensors. RS applications offer the opportunity for decisionmakers to quantify and monitor WQPs on a spatiotemporal scale effectively. The use of RS for water quality monitoring has been explored in many studies using empirical, analytical, semi-empirical, and machine-learning algorithms. RS spectral signatures have been applied for the estimation of WQPs using two categories of RS, namely, microwave and optical sensors. Optical RS, which has been heavily applied in the estimation of WQPs, is further grouped as spaceborne and airborne sensors based on the platform they are on board. The choice of a particular sensor to be used in any RS application depends on various factors including cost, and spatial, spectral, and temporal resolutions of the images. Some of the known satellite sensors used in the literature and reviewed in this paper include the Multispectral Instrument aboard Sentinel-2A/B, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, Landsat Thematic Mapper, Enhanced Thematic Mapper, and Operational Land Imager.

Coordination polymers of transition metal ions are fascinating and important to coordination chemistry. One of the ligands known to form particularly interesting coordination polymers is 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethyl-4,4′-bipyrazole (Me4bpzH2). Group 11 metal(I) ion coordination polymers, other than those of copper(I), are relatively easy to handle because of their low reactivity towards dioxygen and moisture. However, the known silver(I) coordination polymers often have poor solubility in common solvents and so cannot be easily analyzed in solution. By using a tetramethyl substituted bipyrazole ligand, we have synthesized more soluble silver(I) complexes that contain the trifluoromethyl group in the coordinated ions CF3CO2− and CF3SO3− in [Ag(CF3CO2)(Me4bpzH2)] and [Ag(CF3SO3)(Me4bpzH2)]. We determined both structures by single-crystal X-ray analysis at low temperatures and compared them in detail. Moreover, we investigated the solution behavior of these coordination polymers by 1H-NMR, IR, Raman, UV–Vis spectroscopies, and their low-temperature, solid-state photoluminescence. The high-energy band at ~330 nm corresponded to ligand-centered (bipyrazole) fluorescence, and the low-energy band at ~400 nm to ligand-centered phosphorescence resulting from the heavy atom effect.

The delivery of biocompatible reagents into cancer cells can elicit an anticancer effect by taking advantage of the unique characteristics of the tumor microenvironment (TME). In this work, we report that nanoscale two-dimensional FeII- and CoII-based metal–organic frameworks (NMOFs) of porphyrin ligand meso-tetrakis (6-(hydroxymethyl) pyridin-3-yl) porphyrin (THPP) can catalyze the generation of hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and O2 in the presence of H2O2 that is overexpressed in the TME. Photodynamic therapy consumes the generated O2 to produce a singlet oxygen (1O2). Both •OH and 1O2 are reactive oxygen species (ROS) that inhibit cancer cell proliferation. The FeII- and CoII-based NMOFs were non-toxic in the dark but cytotoxic when irradiated with 660 nm light. This preliminary work points to the potential of porphyrin-based ligands of transition metals as anticancer drugs by synergizing different therapeutic modalities.